


What's In a Name?

by ShouldBeSleeping



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 10:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1854682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShouldBeSleeping/pseuds/ShouldBeSleeping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Connor Hawke has a problem that Felicity helps to resolve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's In a Name?

**Author's Note:**

> This started out with an idea and what I had hoped to be a drabble, but obviously it turned out a lot longer than that. I'm not entirely happy with the ending, but maybe I'll pick it up again as a sequel to make up for it.
> 
> So this should be set sometime in the future and does include Oliver's kid (speculated son). I have to say, I have never read the comics, so I'm just rolling with what I got from Wikipedia and other more enlightened authors :)

“Why isn’t my last name ‘Queen’?”

Oliver froze in the hallway, his hand stilling at where it had been previously pulling at his tie. Ahead of him, he could see the master bedroom door slightly ajar, allowing warm light to seep out into the darkened hall. The words were followed by a long pause and then “What brought this on?”

“Sean O’Reilly said that I wasn’t really a Queen-- that Dad doesn’t want everyone to know I’m his kid.” Oliver felt his hands start to form fists and his jaw start to clench.

“Sean O’Reilly is an idiot.” And just like that, Oliver could feel tension start to seep out of him as he silently advanced toward the door. Trying to keep out of the light, he managed to peer in through the gap between the door and the jamb to see a familiar sight.

Connor sat cross legged in the middle of floor with his back to the door, a notebook and pencils strewn about in front of him. A few worksheets of what looked like math homework lay off to the side. Felicity stood next to the bed, where she had been folding and organizing laundry into neat piles. At the moment, she had paused in her task, one of Oliver’s black t-shirts in her hand, as she peered at Connor.

“But–” began Connor.

“But nothing,” she interrupted firmly. “Your dad would and does tell everyone he knows how proud he is of you. He loves you, and he loves being your dad. Your last name has nothing to do with how he feels about you.”

Oliver couldn’t see Connor’s face but he guessed that the look his son was giving Felicity showed that he wasn’t convinced about her little speech. Felicity pursed her lips for a moment and then tossed the shirt in her hand onto the bed before crossing the floor and dropping to sit cross-legged across from Connor.

“Connor,” she said softly. “Do you know where last names come from?”

“They’re family names.”

Felicity nodded. “That’s right, but that’s not all they are. They’re history too.”

“What do you mean?” asked Connor in confusion.

“When last names were first really used, they were used to show your job, where you were from, even actual physical traits,” she answered as she reached forward and gently tugged a lock of Connor’s hair. “People could choose. If your ancestors had made a different choice, you might be Connor Brown right now.” She gave him a small smile.  
“Does that mean Dad’s family was royalty?”

Felicity snorted as she shut her eyes and shook her head. “Doubtful. Although sometimes he makes me wonder… Have you seen him try and work a Pizza Pizzazz?”

Oliver felt a tug at the edge of his lips as he tried not to grin at Connor’s laugh. 

“Last names could also tell a story,” Felicity continued, “and they can also end a story. Do you know what my last name used to be? Before I married Oliver?”

“Smoak, right? I think I heard Digg call you that before,” answered Connor.

“Mmm. That’s right, but I don’t go by it anymore.”

“Because you married Dad.”

“No, that’s not really it.” At that, Oliver could feel his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. At Connor’s silence, she went on. “I gave up my last name because I wanted to end that part of my story.” 

Felicity reached two fingers forward to snag a pencil and began to fiddle with it. Oliver saw Felicity’s mouth twist up into an expression, one that Oliver had rarely seen, as her eyes focused on a point of the floor between her and Connor. 

“Growing up a Smoak wasn’t exactly the best of experiences,” she said softly. “My dad–he was out of the picture, and my mom… Well she wasn’t really a mom.” There were several long moments of silence between the seated pair before the blonde continued, “I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so I was pretty much on my own. I left home young and never really looked back.”

“But then I met your dad, and he was… unexpected.” Oliver lost the battle at that point and finally let a smile cross his face. It wasn’t lost on him that Felicity was using the same word to describe him as he had her.

“Unexpected?” asked Connor.

“He was unexpected because he stayed,” admitted Felicity softly. “I never knew anyone who stayed, and I think because of that, I had never actually knew what a family was or could be.” At that she set the pencil down on the floor and lifted her eyes to catch Oliver’s. After five years, he really shouldn’t have been surprised that his partner knew he was there, but regardless, it still made him tilt his head at her.

Keeping eye contact with Oliver, Felicity finished, “And when he asked me to marry him, to become part of his family, it was a chance for me to leave my name behind. But here’s the rub of it,” she looked back to Connor, “I also left every past and future Smoak behind.” 

Connor tilted his head at her, unknowingly adopting one of his father’s traits to signal confusion.

She gave Connor a soft smile and said, “I took your Dad’s name not only because I became a part of his family but mostly because the Smoak family never gave me reason to keep mine. But you,” she reached forward to grab one of Connor’s hands, “you had a mother who loved you so much. You know that right?”

Connor nodded at her mutely.

“And because of that,” she said, “I don’t think she would have minded if you stayed a Hawke. You have years of good memories with her, and to keep those moments going–that name going– well that’s entirely up to you. But! You know if you ever want to take on the Queen name, all you need to do is ask. I’m sure Oliver won’t mind.”

“Never,” interrupted Oliver smoothly as he walked in. Connor whirled around to stare at him with wide eyes, and Oliver dropped to a kneeling position between his son and wife. Gently he laid one hand on Connor’s shoulder and the other hand on top of Felicity’s and Connor’s still joined hands.

“I’m sorry, Connor, I didn’t think,” apologized Oliver. “I should have asked, but I just didn’t think about it.” Oliver looked at Felicity. “Connor Hawke or Connor Queen, either sound perfect to me.” 

After a short pause, Connor gave him a shy smile and nodded. “If it’s okay with you, Dad, I think want to stay Connor Hawke… for now at least.”

Oliver leaned forward and brushed a kiss to the top of Connor’s head. “My son, the hawk. Sounds a hell of alot more intimidating than a queen.” Felicity and Connor laughed.

“What do you think I’ve been saying since I met you, Queen? Make that growly face all you want but you’re just a big softie,” teased Felicity, as she leaned forward to press a kiss to Oliver’s cheek. At the last moment, Oliver turned his head so their lips collided instead, and he could feel her smile as Connor groaned in the background. Oliver pulled back as Connor shrugged off his father’s and Felicity’s hands and then gathered up his work. 

“Need any more help?” asked Felicity. Connor shook his head at her and then waved the notebook at the two of them. 

“I think I’m good... Thanks, Felicity,” he answered with a smile. From his tone, it was clear Connor wasn’t just referring to the math problems.

“Anytime, kiddo,” said Felicity.

“Can we get pizza tonight?”

“Sounds good to me,” said Oliver. 

“Why don’t you go dig up a menu for Giovanni’s?” Felicity suggested. Connor nodded, jumped up and hastened out of the room.

“Can’t have another Pizza Pizzazz accident!” called Connor over his shoulder, as he disappeared out the door. Felicity let out a peal of laughter while Oliver threw on his best mock-offended face that garnered major side-eye from Felicity.

Oliver wrapped an arm around Felicity’s waist and lifted her up off the floor as he stood, but he didn’t let her go. Instead, he drew her close to his side and pressed his lips to the shell of her ear.

“Thank you,” Oliver murmured softly, all joking gone from his voice.

Felicity smiled. “It was nothing.” 

Oliver shook his head at her and paused for a moment. “Does it bother you?”

Felicity quirked an eyebrow at him.

“When I call you ‘Miss Smoak’ sometimes? I was only teasing. I didn’t realize–”

Felicity cut him off with a sound kiss. “No,” she replied. “Despite how much I wanted to get away from that life, I wouldn’t have met Oliver Queen without being Felicity Smoak first.” With practiced hands, she loosened the knot of his tie and whisked it off his collar to toss on the bed.

“Third person, Felicity? I thought I had cornered the market on that.” He grinned at her and shucked his jacket to join his discarded tie.

She nudged him playfully with her elbow and then snagged his hand, and the two of them moved toward the door.

“Sean O’Reilly, right?” questioned Oliver. He could feel more than see Felicity roll her eyes at him.

“No, Oliver. You’re not going to put the fear of God into a seven year old kid.” Oliver wrinkled his nose at her.

“Besides,” she continued, eyes twinkling, “Once I’m done with him, the kid isn’t going to be able to get a driver’s permit until he’s thirty.”

Oliver laughed, pressed another kiss to her lips, and then tugged her down the hall to the dining room. Names aside, at the end of the day, he had never cared whether she was ‘Felicity Smoak’ or ‘Felicity Queen,’ as long as she was just with him: best friend, partner, wife. His “Olicity” trump card could wait for another day.


End file.
